Downame - Puritan-02038 v2

763 Of the fj, irituall endsrAich accompany worldly thing r. it is difcerned, and the more wee are'infe6ted with this dif- cafe, the leffe wee freie it : for as the fiormie winds blowing Chryfoft.ho- vpon the calme fea doe turne it vp from the very bottemc, md.adpop.43. and mingle together the waters with the fan ds; fo the win - L°°''4' die flo,me of ambition and vaineglorie, rufhing into the heart and rninde,doth ouerturne all,and put out the eyes of the foul e,knowledge and vndert anding. The like alto may be laid ofriches,which being immoderatlyloued,doe fo in- fatuarethe minde ofthe couetous man,that hee hath wit for nothing,but ro gather wealth; and like theblindemoale he knoweth only to dig in the earth, and to hunt after his prey, and is flarke blind in the waies of God, and in ddcerning the bright fhininglight of his truth. Yea when once this cloud ofcouetoufneffebath darkened, and as it were call a thick foggy miff of ignorance, before the eyes of his foule, he is fo blind that bee can put no difference betweene friend and foe,kinred and firanger,good and euill,right & wrong, the feruice ofGod, and the feruice of the diuell, but rs con- tent to make vfe ofall perfons,and of all courfeswhatfoeuer, fo farre foorth only as they may fettle as his inf+ruments,for the gathering orincreafngof his wealth. And as thofe who are in the darke can put no difference betweene precious Hones and worthleffe peebles, copper and gold, the mat} orient colour, and a duskifh ruffet ; fo they who haue their vnderilandingsd ark ned with couetoufnes,are ready in their blinded iudgements, to preferre the world before God,the earth before heauen, and things temporarie before things eternal), becaufe they are fubie'c to their groffefenfes,and may be palpably felr,and even groped out in this night of their ignorance. In a word, according to the meafure of his gaine which bee may make by any thing, fuch is his know- ledge of it, fuch alto is the proportion of his loue.He know - eth and taketh acquaintance of his friends when they may profit him ; but if they are like to bee his hindrance, he paf- feth by and cannot-fee rhem,or tieing know them.If a than.. ger will aduance his gaine, hee efleemeth him aboue a bro- ther or a father ; yea ifan enemie will helpe to increafe his riches, he 1hall be reputed his clearedfriend. If he -can make any